Ralph E. Benson Jr., 82, of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Palm Springs, California, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at his home in Tulsa.

The son of Ralph E. Benson Sr. and Avis Manning Dyer, he was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 2, 1936.  He attended Lamar High School in Houston, Texas, the University of Texas at Austin, and graduated from the University of Tulsa in 1962.  He was a 45 year member of The Tulsa Hurricane Club.

He served in the United States Army with the 31st Medical Group Seventh Army Evacuation Hospital in Germany.  Ralph was trained as a medic, but was recruited by the coach of the Headquarters sports teams, to serve as a Clerk (Basketball Player) at the headquarters, for the rest of his enlistment. The Headquarters team played in basketball and baseball competitions throughout Germany.

He married the love of his life, Janice Faye King, on January 7th 1984.  He is survived by his wife Janice, daughters Kay Ann Carman, Janet Lynn Benson, Elizabeth Karol Arganian and Arleen Benson, stepson Steven Hefley, 7 granddaughters, 3 grandsons, and 8 great grandchildren.  He is also survived by loving in laws; 104 year young Edna King with whom he shared a birthday, Charles and Linda King and Don and Linda McCaskill. Ralph also leaves behind special long time friends, Ben Catterlin and Mary Stewart, both of Tulsa and Wally and Elaine Davis of Round Rock, Texas.

Mr. Benson was preceded in death by his father and mother, Swedish grandparents, Nils and Sigrid Benson, and East Coast grandparents John and Elsie Manning, and stepdaughter Melanie Kouzbari.

During his long career, he and wife Janice owned and operated several Tulsa businesses including Ranch Acres East Shopping Center, Ranch Acres Liquors,  The Bartender at Ranch Acres, Benson Real Estate Company, St. Michael's Alley Restaurant, Needlework Creations, and Ranch Acres Beauty Center, several still popular with Tulsa customers today.

For relaxation, Ralph and Janice traveled the globe, visiting Europe, Africa, Asia, the Far East, South America, and North America from Florida to Alaska.  A favorite destination was Schloss Sommersdorf Castle in Germany, owned by distant relatives, where they spent time in the summers sipping wine with the Baron and Baroness.

In his later years, inspired by a family tree researched for him by his sister in law, he spent many hours continuing to search out ancestors and meet newly discovered relatives.  Ralph's Swedish grandparents were longtime employees of  U.S. Vice President Charles Dawes and Mrs. Dawes.  Ralph Sr. was mentored by Vice President Dawes, who sent him to his collegiate Alma Mater and created a position for him in his oil company after graduation.  The Mannings were early British settlers to New England, with Captain John Manning landing in Boston in 1638.  Ralph loved sharing stories from his childhood, of playing on the grounds of the Manning family estate, The Maples, in Montclair, New Jersey.

Ralph will be remembered for his energy, outgoing personality and inquisitive mind.  He loved feeding the ducks, geese, swans and fish in the lake near his home, and had a tender heart he tried to keep hidden.  He will be missed by those who loved him.